SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

Transcription

1 Former Four-Division World Champion Adrien Broner Returns To Cincinnati Saturday, February 18 to Battle Hard-Hitting Contender Adrian Granados From the Cintas Center at Xavier University Live on SHOWTIME Tickets on Sale Now! CINCINNATI (January 10, 2017) - Former four-division world champion and Cincinnati-native Adrien The Problem Broner (32-2, 24 KOs) will headline in his hometown as he takes on hard-hitting contender Adrian Granados (18-4-2, 12 KOs) in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING live from the Cintas Center at Xavier University in Cincinnati. Televised coverage on SHOWTIME begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature exciting undercard action that will be announced shortly. I m back at home and excited to get back in the ring, said Broner. I m ready to fight. The boxing game isn t the same without me. Granados is a solid guy who beat someone that no one thought he would beat. I know him well and I know there s no doubt he ll be ready to fight. I m fully prepared to go to war with Adrien Broner on February 18 in Cincinnati, said Granados. I m very thankful to Tom Brown of TGB promotions and my manager Andy Zak for helping me get this big opportunity on SHOWTIME. I m training hard and I will come out victorious on fight night. Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by About Billions Promotions and Mayweather Promotions in association with TGB Promotions, are priced at $250, $100, $75, $50 and $30, not including applicable fees, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at or by calling This is going to be a great fight and a great step forward for our company, said Ravone Littlejohn, CEO of About Billions. Cincinnati appreciates when Adrien fights at home. Boxing provides a thrill that exceeds other professional sports in our area. "Mayweather Promotions is looking forward to co-promoting another event with About Billions, as Adrien Broner looks to put on a big show in his hometown of Cincinnati," said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. "We're anticipating a big crowd to support Adrien as he takes on the very tough Adrian Granados, in addition to the exciting undercard bouts that should make this a great night of boxing at Cintas Center and live on SHOWTIME."

2 Adrian Granados has demonstrated his skill and his ability to compete in this sport multiple times, said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. This is proven with his record of huge upsets. I am confident that February 18 will be no different. It will be another win and another big upset. At 27-years-old, Broner is one of the most accomplished and outspoken young stars in the sport today. After picking up world titles at 130, 135 and 147 pounds, Broner earned a belt in a fourth weight division in October 2015 when he defeated tough Russian Khabib Allakhverdiev via a stoppage in the 12 th and final round in his last hometown appearance. Broner boasts a 9-1 record in world title fights on his way to picking up belts in four weight divisions. He will be fighting in his hometown for the 15 th time in a pro career that has seen him defeat the likes of Paulie Malignaggi, Daniel Ponce De Leon, Ashley Theophane, John Molina Jr., Antonio DeMarco and Gavis Rees. Broner compiled a amateur record under the guidance of his trainer Mike Stafford, who continues to train him throughout his pro career. A tough fighter representing Chicago, Granados enters this fight on a five-bout winning streak, including his impressive stoppage over then unbeaten top contender Amir Imam in November Most recently, the 27-year-old dominated Ariel Vasquez over eight rounds in July. Granados has picked up wins over previously unbeaten fighters Mark Salser, Antonio Canas, Antton Slaughter and Imam. Granados defeats have all come in close contests and by either split or majority decisions. With a win over Broner, Granados can position himself for his first career world title shot. # # # For more information visit follow or become a fan on Facebook at and CONTACTS: Swanson Communications: (202) Ravone Littlejohn, About Billions: (513) Nicole Craig, Mayweather Promotions: (702) Chris DeBlasio, Showtime Networks Inc.: (212) Matt Donovan, Showtime Networks Inc.: (212) Flo Jocou, Showtime Networks Inc.: (212) John Beyrooty BZA/Showtime: (562) Bernie Bahrmasel, TGB Promotions/Granados: (773) Credentials: ravone@aboutbillions.com

3 WBA Champion David Avanesyan Battles Former Two-Time World Champion Lamont Peterson in Welterweight Title Defense & Unbeaten Contender Marcus Browne Takes On Former Title Challenger Thomas Williams Jr. In Light Heavyweight Showdown Live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT Saturday, February 18 From the Cintas Center at Xavier University in Cincinnati CINCINNATI (January 24, 2017) -WBA Welterweight Champion David Avanesyan (22-1-1, 11 KOs) will defend his title against former two-time world champion Lamont Peterson (34-3-1, 17 KOs) in a 12-round matchup that serves as the co-main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Saturday, February 18 from the Cintas Center at Xavier University in Cincinnati. Televised coverage on SHOWTIME begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with unbeaten light heavyweight contender Sir Marcus Browne (18-0, 13 KOs) meeting hard-hitting former title challenger Thomas Top Dog Williams Jr. (20-2, 14 KOs) in a 10-round showdown. The event is headlined by former four-division world champion Adrien Broner taking on hard-hitting contender Adrian Granados. It is a great pleasure for me to be defending my world title in the U.S. against a very good opponent in Lamont Peterson, said Avanesyan. I am the champion and come February 18 I will remain champion. This fight gives me a great opportunity to let the U.S. know what I m about and put me in a position to fight the top fighters in the division. This will be a difficult defense but I am ready to show everyone how good I am. I m extremely excited about getting back in the ring and fighting on SHOWTIME again, said Peterson. I ve been working hard in the gym and I m ready to give my fans the kind of show they deserve. I know this guy is coming in with a lot of confidence from that belt, but I believe I m the better fighter and I ll prove it on February 18. I m ready to go to work and fight, said Browne. It doesn t matter if I am the underdog; so be it. Let me be the underdog. I just want to beat this guy up. This is who I wanted to fight. I am fired up about this one and I can t wait until February 18.

4 On February 18, I m not leaving anything up to the judges, said Williams Jr. I think Marcus has gotten some gifts in the past, so I m not leaving this up to anyone but myself. I wanted to stay in the mix. I don t need a tune-up. I ve been fighting since I was five-years-old. I just need to get in there and fight. I think this is going to be a really good battle. Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by About Billions Promotions and Mayweather Promotions in association with TGB Promotions and K1 Promotions, are priced at $250, $100, $75, $50 and $30, not including applicable fees, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at or by calling Fighting out of Russia, Avanesyan defended his interim world title in his last outing when he defeated former three-division world champion Shane Mosley by unanimous decision last May. The 28-year-old is undefeated in his last 22 pro fights since dropping a six-round decision in his second pro fight. Avanesyan picked up his interim belt with a ninth-round stoppage of Charlie Navarro in November of Discovered as a child by trainer Barry Hunter while homeless on the street with his brother Anthony, Peterson has one of the best rags to riches stories in the sport. A pro since 2004, he owns victories over Victor Manuel Cayo, Kendall Holt and Dierry Jean in addition to the world title winning performance against Amir Khan, which he successfully defended three times. The Washington, D.C. native defeated previously unbeaten Felix Diaz in his last outing in October The 26-year-old Browne defeated previously unbeaten Radivoje Kalajdzic in April 2016 after a big 2015 that saw him defeated veteran contenders Gabriel Campillo, Aaron Pryor Jr., Francisco Sierra and Cornelius White. The 2012 U.S. Olympian fights out of Staten Island, New York after an exceptional amateur career that saw him win the 2012 U.S. amateur championship at light heavyweight. The 29-year-old Williams returns to the ring after dropping an exciting contest to light heavyweight world champion Adonis Stevenson in July. Williams earned his title shot after dominant second-round stoppages of Umberto Savigne and former title challenger Edwin Rodriguez. The Fort Washington, Maryland-native was introduced to boxing by his father, a former pro fighter and he will look to start his path back to world title contention with a win on February 18. # # # For more information visit follow or become a fan on Facebook at and

5 ADRIEN BRONER Full Name Adrien Jerome Broner Nickname The Problem Height 5-7 Weight 140 (Super Lightweight) Date of Birth July 28, 1989 Hometown Cincinnati, OH Record 32-2 (24 KOs) BACKGROUND Youngest of six children Was brought to the gym at age six, used to spar with his brother Andre as a child Nicknamed The Problem by his parents Turned pro with a first-round KO victory over Allante Davis on May 31, 2008 Won 13 of first 15 fights by KO or TKO In March 2011, defeated former world champion Daniel Ponce De Leon by unanimous decision to win the vacant intercontinental super featherweight title On November 26, 2011 in his hometown, defeated Vicente Martin Rodriguez to win the vacant Super Featherweight World Championship by third-round KO November 2012, defeated Antonio Demarco by eighth-round TKO to win the Lightweight World Championship Moved up to 147-pounds and defeated Paulie Malignaggi in his hometown of Brooklyn to win the Welterweight World Championship in June 2013 Defeated John Molina Jr. in the inaugural PBC on NBC event Stopped Khabib Allakhverdiev in the 12 th -round to win a 140-pound title and followed it up with TKO victory over Ashley Theophane AMATEUR CAREER amateur record 2002 and 2003 National Silver Gloves Champion 2005 National Junior Olympics semifinalist SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter Instagram AdrienBroner

6 ADRIAN GRANADOS Full Name Adrian Rene Granados Nickname Tigre Height 5-9 Weight 140 (Super Lightweight) Date of Birth August 14, 1989 Hometown Chicago, Illinois Record (12 KOs) BACKGROUND Began boxing during sophomore year of high school with encouragement from a teacher at his school Sparred with boxing legend Juan Manuel Marquez Turned pro in September 2008 with stoppage victory over Hector Castillo Undefeated in nine of his first 10 pro fights Undefeated in 2012 and 2013 with victories over Jaime Herrera, Carlos Winston Velasquez and previously unbeaten fighters Mark Salser and Antonio Canas, plus a splitdraw with former champion Kermit Cintron Has won five fights in a row, including a stoppage of previously unbeaten top contender Amir Imam AMATEUR CAREER amateur record 2008 Mexican Olympic Alternate 2008 Junior Olympic State and Regional Champion Ended 2008 Ranked 5 th in National Rankings at Junior welterweight Junior Golden Gloves National Champion Ringside World Championships bronze medal SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter

7 DAVID AVANESYAN Full Name David Avanesyan Nickname Ava Height 5-8 Weight 147 (Welterweight) Date of Birth August 15, 1988 Hometown Pyatigorsk, Russia Record (11 KOs) Turned pro in June 2009 with with a victor over Vazgen Agadzhanyan Lost his second fight before starting his current unbeaten streak in August 2009 Won the Russian Welterweight title with a victory over previously unbeaten Rusln Khayrtdinov in 2011 Fought to a draw with previously unbeaten Aslanbek Kozaev in regional welterweight title fight in 2013 Won 9 fights in a row fighting in Russia, the United Kingdom, Monaco and the U.S. Won the interim welterweight title with a ninth-round stoppage of Charlie Navarro in November 2015 Most recently defeated boxing legend Shane Mosley by unanimous decision in May 2016

8 LAMONT PETERSON Full Name Lamont Peterson Nickname Havoc Height 5-9 Weight 143 (Welterweight) Date of Birth January 24, 1984 Hometown Washington, D.C. Record (17 KOs) BACKGROUND One of 12 children, grew up in D.C. At age 10 was left homeless, along with his eightyear-old brother Anthony, after father was in prison Taken in by local D.C. trainer Barry Hunter, who continues to train the Petersons Turned pro on Sept. 25, 2004 with a first round KO victory against Nicholas Dean After 15-straight wins to open his career, he defeated Jose Leo Moreno in February 2006 to win the vacant United States super lightweight title Would suffer his first loss in December 2009 to Timothy Bradley, but bounced back with two straight victories over Damian Fuller and Victor Manuel Cayo, plus a draw with Victor Ortiz In his hometown of D.C., he defeated Amir Khan by split decision to win the Super Lightweight World Title Had two successful defenses in 2014, defeating Dierry Jean and Edgar Santana Most recently defeated Olympic gold medalist Felix Diax in October 2015 AMATEUR CAREER 148 wins in 168 amateur fights Won the 2000 National Junior Olympics Won 2001 National Golden Gloves Won 2002 National Under U-19 Championships Won 2003 National Championships Made it to the Olympic boxoffs in 2004, but lost to eventual Olympian Rock Allen SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter Instagram KingPete29 Facebook Facebook.com/LamontPetersonOfficial

9 THOMAS WILLIAMS JR. Full Name Thomas Williams Jr. Nickname Top Dog Height 6-1 Weight 175 (Light Heavyweight) Date of Birth August 25, 1987 Hometown Fort Washington, Maryland Record 20-2 (14 KOs) BACKGROUND Son of former pro fighter Thomas Williams Turned pro in January 2009 with first round TKO over Samuel Gomez Won the first 24 starts of his career Owns victories over previously unbeaten fighters Will Rosinsky, Jason Escalera and Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna Lone defeat came to unbeaten Andre Ward in Nov Defeated Azea Augustama and Derrick Findley in 2014 Stopped Craig Baker in the third round in a PBC fight in May and followed it up with a knockout of previously unbeaten Michael Seals in November Scored a sensational knockout of Edwin Rodriguez in April 2016 to earn a world title shot against Adonis Stevenson SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram ThomasWilliamsJr23

10 MARCUS BROWNE Full Name Marcus Browne Nickname Sir Height 6-0 ½ Weight 175 (Light Heavyweight) Date of Birth November 10, 1990 Hometown Staten Island, NY Record 18-0 (13 KOs) BACKGROUND First got into boxing at age 13 by following a friend to the gym Product of Atlas Cops N Kids Gym in Staten Island Turned pro in Nov with a third round TKO over Codale Ford Won his first five fights without going the distance Defeated Otis Griffin by unanimous decision in April 2014 Scored first round knockouts in three straight fights against Donta Woods, Paul Vazquez and George Blades Took down Aaron Pryor Jr. and Cornelius White in 2015 before knocking out former world champion Gabriel Campillo in the first round in September and closing the year with a stoppage of Francisco Sierra Defeated previously unbeaten Radivoje Kalajdzic in April 2016 AMATEUR EXPERIENCE 2007 Junior Olympics Regional Champion 2007 & 2008 Empire State Games Champion 2009 & 2010 P.A.L Nationals Champions 2008, 2010 & 2011 Golden Gloves Champion 2008 Under 19 Nationals Runner-Up 2011 Olympic Team Trials Champion 2012 U.S. Championships Gold medalist 2012 Olympic Qualifier Gold medal winner 2012 U.S. Olympian SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter Instagram Mbrowne718

11